Two estranged Irish twin daughters, Heather and Melissa Morrissey, have spoken out after spending nearly five months in a Texas immigration detention facility. They accused their father, Seamus Culleton, of being absent from their lives and asserted that he should face drug charges back in Ireland.
The twins decided to make their feelings known following Culleton’s recent appeal on RTÉ Radio, where he requested the intervention of Irish authorities to help him return to his wife in Boston and his construction business. However, they were taken aback by his plea.
Almost 19 now, the sisters revealed that Culleton “abandoned” them when they were just 18 months old, leaving their mother, Margaret “Maggie” Morrissey, to raise them single-handedly. Heather expressed intense feelings of betrayal, saying, “I feel like once we were born, he up and left. He abandoned us. That’s what he did.” Officials have noted that Culleton overstayed his 90-day tourist visa more than 15 years ago.
The sisters remarked that they never received any financial support from him and have not seen him since he moved to the United States. They suggested that his attempt to address the immigration case, involving unresolved drug charges in Ireland, was misguided.
Reports indicate that Culleton faced multiple drug-related offenses in Ireland back in 2008, including intent to sell and possession for personal use. There was an attempt to issue a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court, but complications arose since he was already outside the country.
Heather commented on his behavior, noting, “He was acting like he was a saint, like he had done nothing wrong.” The twins were shocked to hear him describe his detention conditions as “torture” during his radio call.
While Heather did receive a brief call from Culleton shortly after his detention, she noted that communication has since ceased. She shared her frustration about a GoFundMe campaign that raised nearly $30,000 for his legal expenses, calling it “almost child support.” This sentiment echoed Melissa’s dismay over Culleton’s focus on returning home for his dogs rather than for his daughters.
Culleton’s wife had asserted on social media that she wanted him back in Boston to take care of their pets. Heather countered this by saying, “They’re dogs. I understand people love animals but he has kids. His dogs aren’t his kids.”
Details about Culleton’s arrest emerged, stating that he was detained by ICE at a hardware store and subsequently transferred to a facility in Texas. He claimed the living conditions were deplorable, with inadequate access to sunlight and unclean facilities.
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Culleton was subject to due process and was ordered for removal by a federal judge. Following a legal process, he had a final deportation order issued on September 10, 2025, shortly after his arrest.
Culleton has described the detention conditions as torturous, expressing fear for his safety and describing his environment as crowded and unsanitary. “You don’t know what’s going to happen every day,” he said, reflecting on the uncertainty of life in detention.
In his home country, Irish politicians have pledged to raise concerns about his case with authorities in the U.S.
